Improved horse-collar fastener



WILLIAM A. ROBINSON, OF

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patmt No. 89,346, dated A12/rtl 27, 1869; antedated Apr/il 17,1869.

INIPROVED HORSE-COLLAR FASTENER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. ROBINSON, of the city of Grand Rapids,Kent county, State of Michigan, have invented a new and improvedHorse-Collar Fastener; and I hereby declare lthat the following is afull and exact description of said invention, reference being had to theattached drawings, making a part of this specification.

The object sought to be accomplished by said invention is to providemeans for preserving the circular form of the common horse-collar, afterit is separated at the lower end, and for securely and convenientlyfastening and unfastening the same, so as to avoid the necessity ofpassing it over the horses head in the process of harnessing andunharnessing. i

Said invention may be constructed of any desirable metal, and consistsof two bars, Figures l and 2, which may be curved, to correspond withthe curve, or circle of the lower end of the collar, and may be attachedto the collar, either inside or outside of the leather covering, bymeans of rivets, or otherwise; and, when thus attached, will preservethe curved form of the common collar.

The lower end of said bars, which meet in the process of fastening, aremade wider, in order to form a good, strong joint, and, at the sametime, to afford means for attaching the same to the collar, on eitherside of the device, for fastening the different parts together.

At the lower end of the bar, fig. 1, and extending from the under side,there is a' mortise, a, fig. 1, say ve-eighths of an inch square, moreor less, which receives a tenon, a, g. 2, attached to the under side ofthe lower end of bar, iig. 2, which tenon, a, tig. 2', when broughtinto' the mortise a, fig. l, brings the lower ends of said bars in closecontact.

There is a slot, as seen at c, Figure 4, and b, iig. 2, cut in the endof said bar, tig. 2, which extends down through said tenon, a, Iig. 2,and along the bar, as indicated by the letter b, g. 2.

There is also a catch, c, fig. 2, having a hook, d, on one side, which,when in proper position, serves to hold the two bars together, and onthe other side it extends back, forming a lug, for the spring b, Figure3, to act upon in forcing the catch forward.

Said catch also has transverse journals a, a, dg. 4, on the upper' end,and. issuspended from journal-boxes F, tig. 2, and works forward andback in said slot'c, fig. 4.

There is a'shoulder on either side of said catch b b,'ig. 4, whichpasses under a corresponding circular shoulder, E, iig. 2, on eitherside of said slot c, fig. 4, which said shoulders and spring, togetherwith tWo straps, d d, iig. 4, serve to keep said catch c, fig. 2, inposition.l

When the tenon c, fig. 2, is being brought into the mortise a, iig. 1,by pressure, the catch recedes, and when the tenon has entered, thecatch is advanced by action ofthe spring, the hook d, g. 2, passingunder the opposite side ofthe mortise indicated by the letter d, fig. 3,and the letter b, g. 1, and the two parts are securely fastenedtogether. They are unfastened by pressing the catch c, tig. 3, back withthe thumb, and lifting the tenon out of the mortise.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the mortise a, iig. 1, and the tenon c, fig. 2,with the catch c, iig. 2, and the spring b, iig. 3, both said catch andspring working in said slot, when constructed and operatingsubstantially as set forth and described.

2. The application of the curved bars, figs. l and 2, or theirequivalent, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the above-describcd device for fastening, or itsequivalent, with the curved bars, or their equivalent, when applied asand for the purpose set forth and intended.

WM. A. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

WM. ASHLEY, J r., B. P. GUTTER.

